Litter-training after a failed first day home...

[Kitty K]

Hi everyone,

I got my first bunny yesterday, a beautiful Netherland dwarf buck. He is 8 weeks old. I made the mistake of thinking he was already litter box-trained (that's what the breeder told me) so after two hours of settling in his new home, we let him out on the couch. He hopped around and pooped everywhere and also peed on our blanket lol. We put him back in his house, but I let him out again this morning on the couch - same things happened as yesterday. Now I know I shouldn't have let him out because he is not litter-trained yet...

Can he be still litter-trained even though he was let out while he wasn't? I will be trying to train him, I just hope it's not late for that!

 

[Hermelin]

Took a year for my bunny to be litter trained fully, so you can still teach him.

But couches and bed will always become a litter box if they aren’t neutered or spayed.

So either you wait a week before letting him out or have blankets covering your couches, so you can wash them.

Bunnies will always go and do their things where it smell like a litter box.

When my bunny was a kit it took a week to litter train him, then I always had his litter box near him if he was up on a couch.

When he turned 4 months he started the teenage period and I had to start litter train him again. Until he turned one, I had many accidents/ territorial marking.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Peeing in a pan is trained, and they poop up to 500 times a day and mark territory that way too. The poop is easy to clean up, but I'd probably let anywhere but the couch. Neutering will help, but they still poop like a fertilizer factory. We have had 2 out of 47 rescues that only used the pan in their hutch--the rest used pans set around on the floor but would still poop everywhere.

 

[Blue eyes]

Older rabbits train more easily than babies, so it definitely is not too late. You had a setback by letting him out too soon but not a big deal.

The first 48 hours in a new home, a rabbit should really be confined totally to their cage with no pettings, no taking out of cage. They should be confined to the cage with a proper litter box set up. This is the quickest and easiest way to start litter training.

I'd suggest a "do-over" by starting his 'first' 48 hours over again. You can read more about this process here. Just bear in mind that even those babies that happen to litter train can forget that training with the onset of hormones. Once fixed, training is easier and more consistent.

And here's a link about bringing a rabbit home and what to do the first 48 hours.